The team at High Plains Journal is once again preparing for Cattle U, which will be held July 11 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan, Kansas. The event will be a free, one-day conference, which includes lunch, a beef industry panel discussion, lunch keynote speaker and four additional speakers.
Matt Perrier, part-owner and manager of Dalebanks Angus is scheduled to give the lunch keynote. Perrier lives near Eureka, Kansas, is a past president of the Beef Improvement Federation and Kansas Livestock Association and hosts a weekly podcast called Practically Ranching. His keynote is entitled, “Addressing antagonisms in ag (without being an antagonist).” His speech will delve into challenges cattlemen and women face daily and how to find better approaches.
“Beef producers are faced with tough decisions every day,” Perrier said. “Quite often, a solution for one problem has a consequence on another. When these relationships are in opposition, we call them antagonisms. These antagonisms can exist in our own ranches and families, between segments of our industry and even between producers and consumers of beef. They present challenges, but they’re easier to deal with when we recognize them and find balance.”
He said part of the antagonism is between producers and consumers and he hopes cattle raisers can be the ones to mend relationships and strengthen consumer’s understanding of where their food comes from.
“There is certainly a disconnect that has been growing for decades, but I think ag folks have done a better job of relating to consumers recently,” he said. “Building this bridge is a challenge, as the huge majority of United States consumers have no direct understanding of production ag. But they are hungry for more than just our beef, they’re hungry for our lifestyle. They might not want to live or work where we are, but they want some sort of connection to our lifestyle. Whenever we can give them that feeling as they consume our product, we have added value to the beef community.”
Perrier said he is most excited to hear new ideas and perspectives when he attends Cattle U. He said he looks forward to the questions following his keynote and the discussions in the hallways throughout the day.
“Ranchers are an independent bunch,” he explained. “We may go days or weeks without taking time to talk with folks outside our family or fences. While it’s tough to get away, there always seems to be something that can be gained by sharing thoughts, perspectives and experiences at these types of events. I won’t be able to tell anyone how to be the world’s richest rancher … I certainly haven’t figured it out yet. But I hope to help all of us use data, formulate solutions and evaluate tough decisions so we can maintain the economic viability of our farms and ranches into the next generation.”
Additional speakers and Cattle U awards
Besides Perrier’s keynote, the Cattle U event will kick off with breakfast and a beef industry panel, which will include four diverse members of the beef industry. The panelists will include: Dr. Kendra Rock, DVM, DACT, at Cross Country Genetics in Manhattan, Kansas; Reiss Bruning, owner and manager at Bruning Farms in Bruning, Nebraska; Phillip Lancaster, clinical assistant professor at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute and Lynn Langvardt, auctioneer at JC Livestock Sales in Junction City, Kansas. The panel will discuss topics including genetics, nutrition, marketing, animal health and profitability.
After the panel, attendees will hear four other speakers, including a meat cutting presentation from Troy Leith with Midwest Meats in Abilene, Kansas; a presentation on proper mineral intake for cows by Dr. Kevin Cain, DVM, director of technical services at Multimin; a session on cattle prices from Scott Brown, livestock economist at the University of Missouri; and a presentation from Jason Warner, Extension cow-calf specialist at Kansas State University. Warner’s presentation will be centered on cow-calf nutrition and management following a drought.
“The last year and a half have been very challenging for many producers across Kansas due to the lack of precipitation and subsequent impacts on forage production and forage and feed prices,” Warner said. “While many areas around Kansas and neighboring states have received precipitation since May, continued abundant rainfall is needed to offset significant deficits. When you couple the severe drought with high prices for inputs, we are certainly in unprecedented times. I plan to discuss the changes in the cowherd inventory in Kansas that we’ve seen over the last couple years and what that means going forward, drought management strategies that producers may consider implementing later this summer, as well as some decision support tools that are available to help producers make more informed decisions.”
The third annual Cattle U awards will also be presented during lunch and the cattlewoman and cattleman of the year will be recognized on the stage. To ensure a free lunch, pre-registration is encouraged by June 23. To learn more about the event, speakers and to register, visit www.cattleu.net.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
